American science is in crisis. It’s a great opportunity for Australia to snap up top scientists
By Kylie Walker
Science in the United States in in trouble. The National Science Foundation, a key research funding agency, has suffered devastating funding cuts under the current administration. Critics say the cuts risk losing an entire...
Some young people sexually abuse. Here’s how to reduce reoffending by up to 90%
By Jesse Cale Et Al
When we think about whos responsible for sexual abuse in Australia, we usually picture adults. But young people are responsible for a substantial proportion of sexual offences nationwide. Up to a third of all child sexual...
Can a pizza box go in the yellow bin – or not? An expert answers this and other messy recycling questions
By Pooria Pasbakhsh
Have you ever gone to toss something into the recycling bin a jam jar, a pizza box, a takeaway container encrusted with yesterdays lunch and wondered if youre doing it right? Perhaps you asked yourself: should I scrub...
AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer
By Patrick Dodd
For a long time, universities worked off a simple idea: knowledge was scarce. You paid for tuition, showed up to lectures, completed assignments and eventually earned a credential. That process did two things: it gave you...
As Netanyahu meets Trump in Washington, what hope for peace in Gaza? Expert Q&A
By Jonathan Este
The US government remains upbeat about the prospects for at least a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the latest reports from Washington, where the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been meeting the US...
How to support someone who is grieving: five research-backed strategies
By Lucy Poxon
When someone we care about is grieving the loss of a loved one, our natural instinct is to ease their pain. But when words feel clumsy and gestures fall short, it can be hard to know how to help. Drawing on both my...
Brics is sliding towards irrelevance – the Rio summit made that clear
By Amalendu Misra
The Brics group of nations has just concluded its 17th annual summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. But, despite member states adopting a long list of commitments covering global governance, finance, health, AI...
NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?
By Timothy Welch
Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis. The government has spent...
Chatbots are on the rise, but customers still trust human agents more
By Vivek Astvansh
Customers contact companies regularly to purchase products and services, inquire about orders, make payments and request returns. Until recently, the most common way for customers to contact companies was through phone...
What makes a good football coach? The reality behind the myths
By Alan McKay
With Womens Euro 2025 underway, attention is turning not just to the players hoping for glory, but to the head coaches tasked with leading them. These include Englands Sarina Wiegman, who guided the Netherlands to Euro...
A brief history of the slogan T-shirt
By Liv Auckland
You probably have a drawer full of T-shirts. Theyre comfy, easy to style, cheap and ubiquitous. But the T-shirt is anything but basic. For 70 years, theyve been worn as a tool for self-expression, rebellion and protest....
The pandemic is still disrupting young people’s careers
By Sviatlana Kroitar
Unlike previous economic downturns, the COVID pandemic created a crisis that disrupted both education and employment, abruptly halting young peoples emerging careers and clouding their hopes for the future. It doubly...
US Supreme Court ponders the balance of power – and sides with President Trump
By John Stanton
Since his second inauguration in January, Donald Trump has issued more than 160 executive orders. These orders permit the US president to make directives concerning the workings of the federal government without the need...
A new Gaza ceasefire deal is on the table – will this time be different?
By Julie M. Norman
The US president, Donald Trump, says that Israel has agreed to terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. If that sounds familiar, it is. The idea of a two-month truce has been discussed since the collapse of the last...
What MAGA means to Americans
By Jesse Rhodes Et Al
A decade ago, Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New York City and ignited a political movement that has reshaped American politics. In a memorable turn of phrase, Trump promised supporters of...
Capitalism and democracy are weakening – reviving the idea of ‘calling’ can help to repair them
By Valerie L. Myers
Ask someone what a calling is, and theyll probably say something like doing work you love. But as a management professor who has spent two decades researching the history and impact of calling, Ive found its much more than...
Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power
By Issouf Binaté
Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa as the geopolitical and economic landscape in the region shifts. In Senegal, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has entered a key partnership in the oil and gas...
How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours
By David Sella-Villa
The Internet of Things, which includes wearables, appliances and cars, is collecting an increasing amount of information about you. lupengyu/Moment via Getty Images Some unusual witnesses helped convict Alex Murdaugh of...
Supreme Court rules Trump can rapidly deport immigrants to Libya, South Sudan and other countries they aren’t from
By Eleanor Paynter
Internally displaced people walk along a street in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 13, 2025. Brian Inganga/AP Photos For the past several months, the Trump administration has been trying to deport immigrants to countries they...
Charitable giving grew to $593B in 2024, propelled by a strengthening US economy and a booming stock market
By Jon Bergdoll Et Al
Paul Newman, the late actor and philanthropist, co-founded Camp Boggy Creek, which children with serious illnesses and their families attend for free. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack U.S. charitable giving increased 3.3% to...
Iran and Israel agree to a fragile ceasefire. One factor could be crucial to it sticking
By Ali Mamouri
Amir Levy/Getty Images After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades....
The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model
By Anthony Burke
The United States and Israels strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments. Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Irans nuclear facilities, this...
Why have so few atrocities ever been recognised as genocide?
By James Sweeney
An intense argument is raging over whether what has been happening in Gaza since October 2023 is an act of genocide. It is the subject of a case being heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which South Africa...
The American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize
By Lori Wilkinson
In February 2025, the New Republic, reported there were a growing number of Americans who wanted to leave the country following the election of Donald Trump. Canadian reports backed up the assertion, particularly the news...
Nato faces a make-or-break decision about how to protect Europe and its future in next few weeks
By Amelia Hadfield
Nato is facing a pivotal moment in its history. Ahead of its June 24-25 summit in The Hague, Nato is weighing up whether it can truly continue to count on US support (and membership), whether it will become a European-only...
Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina put African cinema on the map with his bold, political films about Algeria
By Nabil Boudraa
Legendary Algerian film-maker Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina has passed away at the age of 91. He is most commonly remembered as the first (and only) African to win the coveted Palme dOr prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his...
Why are the US and Israel not on the same page over how to deal with Iran? Expert Q&A
By Scott Lucas
The US president, Donald Trump, claimed on May 28 to have personally stopped Israel from attacking Irans nuclear facilities. When asked if hed intervened during a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin...
Rise of the Zombie Bugs takes readers on a jaw-dropping tour of the parasite world
By Alex Dittrich
Rise of the Zombie Bugs, by Mindy Weisberger, is a non-fiction book that borrows from popular culture to make one of the most complex and grisly interactions in the animal kingdom accessible to the reader. From fungi and...
Champions League final 2025: a battle for glory against a backdrop of money and fashion
By Simon Chadwick Et Al
The 2025 mens Champions League final will end in triumph for either Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Milan. And whichever side wins, Uefa will no doubt claim that the tournaments new format, involving more teams, more games...
Pulp are back and more wistfully Britpop than before
By Mark RJ Higgins
Ah, the 90s. A decade when the future seemed bright, technological modernity was pregnant with promise, and Britannia was revelling in a rediscovered sense of cool. The pop-culture emblem of this was Britpop. After the...
Trump’s white genocide claims about South Africa have deep roots in American history
By Alex Hinton
President Donald Trump shows printed news articles during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on May 21, 2025. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images President Donald...
Beyond the backlash: What evidence shows about the economic impact of DEI
By Rodney Coates
Few issues in the U.S. today are as controversial as diversity, equity and inclusion commonly referred to as DEI. Although the term didnt come into common usage until the 21st century, DEI is best understood as the latest...
The rise and fall – and rise again – of white-tailed deer
By Elic Weitzel
Given their abundance in American backyards, gardens and highway corridors these days, it may be surprising to learn that white-tailed deer were nearly extinct about a century ago. While they currently number somewhere in...
Weaponized storytelling: How AI is helping researchers sniff out disinformation campaigns
By Mark Finlayson Et Al
It is not often that cold, hard facts determine what people care most about and what they believe. Instead, it is the power and familiarity of a well-told story that reigns supreme. Whether its a heartfelt anecdote, a...
There’s no evidence work requirements for Medicaid recipients will boost employment, but they are a key piece of Republican spending bill
By Colin Gordon
Republicans in the U.S. Senate are sparring over their version of the multitrillion-dollar budget and immigration bill the House of Representatives passed on May 22, 2025. Some GOP senators are insisting on shrinking the...
More Colorado workplaces are becoming safe places for employees in recovery
By Liliana Tenney Et Al
At Odie Bs, a sandwich shop in Denver, recovery from drug and alcohol use is part of daily operations. Seventy percent of our staff is active in recovery, Cliff Blauvelt, co-owner of Odie Bs, said in a video testimonial....
The anatomy of a smile: how to spot a fake from the real thing
By Michelle Spear
Youve probably heard the claim that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Its usually framed as a feel-good reason to turn your frown upside down less effort, more joy. But anatomically, the numbers dont quite add...
Grattan on Friday: Trump, tariffs and the Middle East are looming challenges for Albanese
By Michelle Grattan
Australia these days receives invitations to big-league international conferences. And so Anthony Albanese will be off soon to the G7 meeting in Alberta, Canada, on June 15-17. For the prime minister, whats most important...
Is Sudan’s war the reason for South Sudan’s economic crisis? What’s really going on with oil revenue
By Jan Pospisil
The civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has had an impact on its neighbours. One of the most keenly affected countries is South Sudan, which became...
Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security
By Stefan Wolff
Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to his Truth Social social media channel to proclaim that if it wasnt for him, lots of really bad things...
Why we need testosterone products designed for women
By David Haddleton
Menopause is something nearly every woman will go through. As fertility ends, levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop significantly changes that can deeply affect physical health, emotional wellbeing and everyday life....
Influencer Andrew Tate is charged with a raft of sex crimes. His followers will see him as the victim
By Steven Roberts Et Al
British prosecutors have this week charged social media influencer Andrew Tate with a string of serious sexual offences, including rape and human trafficking, alleged to have been committed in the United Kingdom between...
Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, after a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs
By Susan Stone
A US court has blocked the so-called Liberation Day tariffs that US President Donald Trump imposed on imported goods from around 90 nations. This puts implementation of Trumps current trade policy in disarray. The Court of...
RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance
By Libby Richards
On May 27, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer include the COVID-19 vaccine on the list of immunizations it...
From working class pubs to sold-out stadiums: how darts has become a major international sport
By Joshua McLeod Et Al
Few sports have witnessed a transformation as dramatic as darts in recent years. From its origins as a pub game stereotypically played with cigarette and beer in hand, darts is now serious business. With surging television...
3 things to watch as South Koreans head toward the polls following turbulent political period
By Jong Eun Lee
On June 3, 2025, South Koreans will head to the polls to vote for a new president. The election caps a particularly turbulent several months in the countrys politics that began with right-wing President Yoon Suk Yeol...
Knife crime is common but difficult to investigate. Robots can help
By Paola A. Magni Et Al
The following article contains material that some readers might find distressing. Around the world, knives are a popular weapon of choice among criminals. In Australia, for example, they are the most common weapon used in...
Can your cat recognise you by scent? New study shows it’s likely
By Julia Henning
Ever wonder if your cat could pick you out of a line up? New research suggests they could … but maybe not in the way you would expect. Previous research has found that only 54% of cats could recognise humans by...
Behind the wellness industry’s scented oils and soothing music are often underpaid, exploited workers
By Rawan Nimri Et Al
Wellness tourism is booming. Think yoga retreats in Bali, digital detox weekends in a rainforest, or a break on a luxury island to find yourself. Its no longer just about taking selfies at the beach or in front of...
Anxious over AI? One way to cope is by building your uniquely human skills
By Nitin Deckha
We live in a time of growing anxiety and fear, where the disruptive forces of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Big Data, virtual reality and augmented reality loom ominously over peoples lives. In a recent...
